Women Whistleblowers

This is a very disturbing taped telephone calls to Alicia Dabney, a Native American firefighter. Ms. Dabney works for the USDA Forest Service in California. After receiving this telephone call from her supervisor she filed a complaint of discrimination. Within weeks, she was placed on administrative leave and later fired.

Alicia's letter to the Secretary of USDA

I, Alicia Dabney, am a female Native American employee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture; U.S. Forest Service, Sequoia National Forest located in Porterville, CA. My duty station is the Springville Work Center in Springville, CA. My job is a GS-462-4 Forestry Technician (Firefighter) from February 2010 to present. My telephone number during working hours is: xxx-xxx-xxxx.

I am writing you today to request a meeting with you again to resolve the massive violations of employee civil rights, put down this War On Women, and meet with us. We need your help. My managers and supervisor have retaliated against me for reporting sexual harassment, sexual assault, discrimination against women and minorities. I will take the time to personally tell you what has happened to me and my family. So if you haven't been informed, you are now!!! I was denied any type of training for two years--my supervisor letting me know that I didn't deserve the training. I was told by my supervisor everyday,"don't talk to me because it's not 8:00 yet" and that he gets paid to put up with me. When I requested new fire pants I was told I was too fat and needed to lose weight if my pants didn't fit. I was forced to monthly report when I was menstruating to my supervisor and I would cover my face and cry due to the humiliation and my dignity being stripped from me. As we would serve the community fighting fire or just complete physical training I was called very disgusting names!! They would make racial slurs at my Native American Children. On the way to a fire assignment in New Mexico the hot shot crew purposely passed any and all restrooms and forced me to urinate on the side of the road as 20 men watched, again making me cry and stripping any dignity left in my body. I was also assaulted by a co-worker at work. When I was kneeling down getting into my fire pack this individual came up and sat on my head. Pressing his groin into my neck and head, he refused to let me up, holding me down as I begged and cried please stop! please get off! While he and the other men laughed at me. The men from the Hot Shot crew wrote WH*RE on the ice machine, directing it at me since I'm the only female out of 100 men. Then in another effort of trying to humiliate me they made fliers saying Alicia Dabney the WH*RE and throwing them all over my Engine Bay. On an a fire assignment in Texas my supervisor spit directly in my face in front of everyone on the assignment--they all witnessed it and I reported it. The same supervisor put me in a choke hold and slammed me down, trying to sexually assault me. I begged and cried for him to stop and not do this to me. When he released me I ran and reported it to upper management. Then another co-worker on the same assignment tried to break into my room so I called the Captain who had to physically come and stop this individual from breaking down my door. Now my forest Supervisor has placed me on administrative leave while the men who have assaulted me continue to work. So I ask why am I being punished for speaking the truth about these violation of my human & civil rights? I need to let you know that I feel threatened and am fearing for my safety. I'm asking for your help. So now I will take this time to pray for us: Grandfather please come into these people's hearts and help them have the courage to help us women who are suffering day in and day out.

Respectfully Alicia Dabney Please help me for I now fear for my life!!!